Sundance Buttress Closure Added Other Closures Removed Or Continued To Protect Nesting Raptors in Rocky Mountain National Park

Each year to protect raptor nesting sites, Rocky Mountain National Park officials initiate temporary closures in the Lumpy Ridge and Sheep Mountain areas of the park. To enable wildlife managers to gather information and ensure that raptors can nest undisturbed, specific areas within the park are closed temporarily to public use during nesting season.

Due to raptor nesting activity, Sundance Buttress in the Lumpy Ridge area has been added to the closure areas. The following sites will remain temporarily closed until further notice – Alligator Rock, Twin Owls, Rock One, Sheep Mountain and now Sundance Buttress. These closures include all climbing, approach and descent routes for the indicated formations on all sides of those formations.

The following closures have been lifted - Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Thunder Buttress, No Name and Parish. The National Park Service is committed to preserving birds of prey. The same cliffs that attract raptors also appeal to climbers. The cooperation of climbing organizations and individuals is essential to the successful nesting of raptors in the park.

The following areas are closed from March 1-July 31 or until further notice:

Twin Owls, Rock One, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Sheep Mountain, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Lightning Rock and Checkerboard Rock are currently closed. The closures include the named rock formations and the areas extending 100 yards surrounding the base of the formation. This includes all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes and climber's access trails to the formation.

Description

Precipitation is located on the face between Turnkorner and The Nose and starts 20 ft or so left of the HUGE flake leaning against the wall. From there it continues upward to the great roof which holds the exposed zig zag crux pitch.

Yes, some may not agree with the three stars I gave this route, but I really dug it. The free climbing is full-on sandbag yet of high quality. Plus ,the aid crux through the roof is super exposed and one of the best positions on Lumpy!

Contrary to what the guidebooks say, here is how I found the pitches to be rated. P1= 5.9 P2= C1 or solid 5.10?? P3= C1 or 5.9/5.10???(but don't quote me on that!) P4= C2/+? and P5 and up- follow The Nose route to the top or continue straight up the last A3 pitch of Firebird.

P.S. - send your tallest partner to make the big Laton Kor reach in the middle of the C2 roof!

Protection

Thanks to some fixed pins and clean aid gadgets, this route can and should continue to go hammerless. Bring a standard clean aid rack up to a #4 Camalot, one cliff hanger hook, and don't forget a big (or long?) cam hook for the inverted placement at the crux near end of roof. However, those new 2cams by Splitter Gear may do the trick there also? Note: belay at top of pitch 2 is not the best, but it's doable, but the belay on the top of pitch 4 (at end of roof) is bunk! This belay has one pin sticking halfway out and two antique Kor bolts which need replacement, yikes! I was able to back this anchor up a bit, but new bolts are needed.

Freeclimbed the 1st three pitches to the roof the other day. Pitch 1 is 5.9. P2 is 5.10+ with some thin pro. P3 is 5.10-. We rapped from here with two 60m ropes to the webbing at the top of P1. I'd give the 1st 3 pitches a star or two.